How do we know that the puppy had the will to live?
Answers
Answer:
Yes, I saw it happen right in front of me.
Gracie was our 80-pound female Golden Retriever - our second dog.
For some time we would see an occasional stutter at her hindquarters when she walked, but we did not make too much of it.
One day, when she came into her room from the yard, her rear legs collapsed. I could see on Gracie's face that she was as surprised as we were.
She tried to stand on her hind legs a couple of times, but did not succeed. At that point, she lay on her side. She never tried to get up again. When offered food, she did not take any, and when given affection, she barely responded (both seriously abnormal behaviors).
Because of her size, we didn't even try to take her to the vet's office. We called a mobile vet, who put her down. (He said that the myelin sheath surrounding the relevant nerve had been damaged, thus that nerve no longer functioned properly.)
It was clear that once Gracie no longer could stand on her hind legs, she lost her will to live.
Explanation:
Hope it is helpful